“Market Urbanism” refers to the synthesis of classical liberal economics and ethics (market), with an appreciation of the urban way of life and its benefits to society (urbanism). We advocate for the emergence of bottom up solutions to urban issues, as opposed to ones imposed from the top down.

CTA “Super Station” Mothballed

Faced with runaway costs, the CTA and City Hall slammed the emergency brakes Wednesday on ambitious plans to build a “super station” in downtown’s Block 37 to speed express trains to both Chicago’s airports.

A combined $213 million has been spent on the project, yet there is not much more than a massive hole in the ground to show for it.

At least an additional $100 million would be needed to complete the subterranean station, the CTA estimated.

“The Block 37 curse continues,” said Joseph Schwieterman, a transportation and urban planning professor at DePaul University who has for years doubted the viability of the transit project.

Damn. I was really looking forward to the express connection to the airports. Had I not gone back to grad school, I would have worked on the subway station and tunnel design. But, I was always suspicious of how/if trains would actually be express without adding significant amounts of track and switching.

With any major Chicago public project, always be suspicious that it will cost what the politicians say. The common joke is that there is a factor of 2.5: actual cost / original announced cost. The funny thing is that the factor seems pretty close to accurate. I wonder if there is any real data on that.

I definitely recommend reading Here’s the Dealby Ross Miller, to learn the long history of Block 37 and political meddling in Chicago’s downtown.

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About Adam Hengels

Adam is passionate about urbanism, and founded this site in 2007, after realizing that classical liberals and urbanists actually share many objectives, despite being at odds in many spheres of the intellectual discussion. His mission is to improve the urban experience, and overcome obstacles that prevent aspiring city dwellers from living where they want. http://www.marketurbanism.com/adam-hengels/